The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1887-06-18
USEFUL INFORMATION.

Crib5inq Horses-Horses addicted to the habit
of taking hold of something and making peculiar
sound at the same time, are called cribbers. In
the act of cribbing the edges of the teeth worn
or broken off, and if we watch cribber closely,
we may see bolus of air passing down its throat,
arching his neck at the same time. Crib-biters
are generally subject to collie, and are unsound.
| Cribbing may be due to imitation; that is, if
horse stands a cribber he may learn to do it.
1t may also be due to restlessness; horse stand
| ing in stall long while and wanting something
to do may contract the habit. 1t is also said to
| be hereditary. To cure cribbers, put them in q
loose box where they cannot get hold of anything,
or use muzzles. Placing strap around the neck
| will prevent horse from cribbing but this may
| cause malformation of the neck and trachea, so
that, the whole, the loose box is generally the
| best mode of treatment.
| Dry Feed for Horses.-"Horses," says J. M.
Stahl in the Prairie Farmer, care generally given
too much dry food. The horse does best upon
moist food, or that which has large percentage
of water in its composition. Carrots, turnips,
beets, pumpkins, etc., may be given in small guam
titles with decided advantage, especially in winter
In summer the hay should be sprinkled with water
and the oats soaked. This will not only make the
food more palatable and easily digested, but will
obviate the necessity of watering after meals.
| Many object to watering the horse after he has
eaten, because the fluid carries the grain into the
| IL
| grain and forage dampened, the horse will not
require watering after a meal. He will rarely
| drink if water is offered him and the moisture will
aid digestion. This is surely better and more hu-
name than to give horse dry food and then work
him for six or seven hours in the hot sun after
| ward, without drink"
Potato Fertilizers-An experiment with differ
ent fertilizers potatoes conducted last year
at the Agricultural Experiment Station at the
| State College of Kentucky. The conclusions ar
| rived at were:
| l. That the application of stable manure great
| ly Injuries the quality of the potato.
2. That the application Of the nitrate of soda is
injurious to the quality of the potato. This will
probably hold good to the application of any nj
| trogenous fertilizer.
| 3. The inference is based upon one trial, that
the result in the quality of the potato is the same
| whether sulphate muriate of potash is used, at
| least in combination with nitrate of soda and su
| perphosphates.
The highest quality, that is the highest percen-
tage of'starch, found in potatoes raised with
out manure in these the percentage of starch, was
1898. Tubers raised with superphosphate of lime
and suphate potash stood next, the starch being
1897. This fertilizer, 600 pounds of superphos-
| phate and 200 pounds sulphate of potash, also
gave the largest yield but one of large potatoes,
| 203 bushels to the acre. The use of superphos-
| phate in the same quantity and 300 pounds of nj
trate of soda gave 2l3 bushels of large potatoes,
but the percentage of starch in the last was only
| 1913.
| Icy. Poisoning.-A correspondent of the Ameri
can Farmer, writing from Washington, D. c., says
"Ivy- poisoning is one of the farmers ills, but
it has lost all its terrors for me. l have always
been extremely susceptible to the poison poison
| ivy and oak so as to give me great annoyance,
unless it is Immediately checked on its first APP
| pearance. This, common washing soda accom-
| plishes for me, if properly applied. l make the
application by saturating slice of bread with
| water, then cover one surface with soda, and ap
ply to the eruption, the soda next the fesh When
the bread is dried by the animal heat, drop wa
ter on the outer side so to keep it thoroughly
| moistened, and dissolve the soda crystals in con-
tact with the skin. This, you will perceive, is
| merely bread poultice the bread being vehicle
| through whose moisture the soda reaches the hu-
NOR 1 find that washing or bathing with soda
water, continuously, will not suffice with me.
| My skin requires the heat and moisture of the
bread in order for the soda to act on and neutral
ize the poison. rarely have need to retain this
soda poultce for more than thirty minutes on any
| affected part. No pain ensues. Formerly suf-
fered often for weeks, the poison would spread
all over my body. Now thirty minutes measures
the duration of its exhibition"